Stygian (Dark-Hunter #27)

Archie continued to make sounds of discontent as they moved in relative silence through the forest toward the village where Davyn’s sister and brother-in-law lived.

Urian didn’t say anything as they trudged along. While it annoyed him that Archie was here, it was actually very typical of his brother’s behavior. Davyn had wanted to come out and be with his family in their village for a couple of days, and as a matter of course, Paris had insisted on being with him to make sure Davyn didn’t do this alone.

No one should be left alone to watch a family member die.

Needless to say, while they might attempt to kill each other most of the time they were together, they weren’t about to let anyone else have that honor. And it was too dangerous for Paris and Davyn to run solo in the human realm without them. While Davyn might claim his family could take care of themselves, they didn’t believe it.

In it for one. In it for all.

So here they were, en masse. Pissed off and sniping at each other.

As Xyn would say, the ushe.

“What is this Cult of Pollux stuff again?” Ophion asked. Unlike the rest of them who remained blond, he had chosen to dye his hair black, like their father.

“In a word? Idiotic!”

“Archie!” Paris renewed his stern glare. “Stop!”

“It’s fine, Paris. He’s not exactly wrong.” Davyn handed Ophion a small medallion that contained an interlocking circle pattern on it.

Ophion scowled at the piece. “What’s this?”

Urian tried to keep the disdain out of his own voice since he actually agreed with Archie, for once. “Everyone in their community wears that emblem as a sign of solidarity that they intend to honor their pledge. Or they wear it on the night when they come together to be with the family member who’s abiding by the vow they took that they won’t commit ritual suicide to avoid Apollo’s curse and go Daimon. That they’ll sit there on their twenty-seventh birthday and decay as the god intended them to.” Alkimos’s and Telamon’s eyes widened in horror. “Archie’s right! They’re idiots!”

“Thank you. Finally someone who agrees with me.”

Theo snorted at Urian’s words. “I often agree with you. I just don’t admit it out loud ’cause I don’t want anyone else to think I’m an idiot like you.”

Urian’s laughter died as he smelled fire all of a sudden. The scent hit each of his brothers at about the same time.

As did the crackling sound of it. The clashing of steel and screams …

In unison, they went into battle mode and formed a phalanx, pulling on their helms and locking their shields into place. Out of habit, Urian took the weak end. As the strongest fighter among them, he’d volunteered for it years ago. The eight of them present were a well-practiced unit when it came to war, especially against humans.

Unlike Davyn’s family and their village, the sons of Strykerius weren’t Anglekos—the term reserved for Apollites who’d taken a vow never to use their psychic powers or superior strength to harm humans.

They were Spathi. Ruthless. Cold. In it for blood and bone. Loyal only to Apollymi, and hell-bent against the human race and anyone who threatened an Apollite or Daimon. It was why their emblem was a dragon over a sun. The sun being the mark of Apollymi the Destroyer, and the dragon for their father, Stryker.

And as they came up to the village under the cover of darkness, Urian saw what caused the noises and odor.

Human soldiers had annihilated the Apollites who lived there and were still pillaging and burning everything and everyone they could find.

With an anguished cry, Davyn almost broke rank and started forward, but Paris caught him and held him back.

“Nay, love. In the name of vengeance. Remain calm or they’ll have us, too.”

Something proven as the humans saw them and rallied to attack.

Theo came around so that they formed a circle. Urian frowned at his brother, who cast him a smug sneer.

“What?” Theo asked in an offended tone. “I might think you’re an obnoxious little shit … which you are, Uri. But you are my brother. Be damned if I’ll see you die by a human hand.”

“Aye,” Archie growled. “And I’m not about to go home and tell Solren I let you die. He’d skin us all.”

Urian laughed as his brothers let out a war cry and countered the first strike against them and the impenetrable wall they presented to their enemies. He struck with his kopis and his powers, using both to drive the humans back and knock them from their feet as they attacked him and his brothers.

They had intended to remain in a circled phalanx, but in a matter of minutes, the humans had broken them apart with their assault, especially those who were coming at them in chariots with javelins. Urian twisted as one of the charioteers came by and slammed a whip down across his shield. It caught against the edge, yanked him forward, and wrested him away from their protection.

Even so, Urian used his powers to lock the chariot’s axle and sent the bastard who hurt him flying.

As he turned to engage his next attacker, a bright blue flash caught his eye.

It was a blond child, running.

His jaw went slack. Especially when he noticed the boy trying to run into a burning cottage.

Shit!

Urian flashed himself to the child’s position so that he could grab him to protect the boy.

The moment he did, the boy sank his fangs straight into Urian’s hand.

Definitely Apollite and not human.

“Hey!” Urian flashed his own fangs at the boy to let him know whose side he was on.

Tears flowed from the child’s eyes as he realized Urian was an Apollite and not a human out to harm him. “Please help! My mata and sister are trapped because my mata’s blind and my sister won’t leave her!”

Glancing around, Urian saw that the boy wasn’t safe either. Not in the cruel sea of madness that surrounded them. The humans were brutal and those fighting them weren’t a bit better. “All right.” He pushed him toward some brush. “Stay low. I’ll be right back.”

The boy ran like a rabbit while Urian rushed into the building. Even over the roar of the fire, he heard the girl weeping and pleading with her mother as she tried to save her. He headed for them.

Covering his mouth and nose with part of his chalmys, he picked through the burning building, dodging embers and falling planks as best he could. He’d always been afraid of fire. It was another thing that could easily kill them.

The smoke burned his eyes while he stayed low and felt his way along the floor until he found the girl next to her mother, who was barely conscious and wounded terribly. It was obvious the humans had taken their time abusing her.

And the moment Urian touched the woman, she screamed and began swinging wildly at him.

“Shh, you’re safe. I’ve got you.” He unpinned his fibula and removed his cloak, grateful to the gods that Sarraxyn had made his armor flameproof. Strangely enough, it managed to even keep his body cool in the oppressive heat of the place.

“He’s an Apollite, Mata. He’s got fangs like us.”

The woman broke down into horrendous sobs as she clung to him unexpectedly.

“I’m going to wrap you in my cloak and teleport you both out. All right?”

She nodded weakly.

Urian quickly covered her naked body and then flashed them from the burning building to where the boy should be waiting for his return, hopefully well hidden, under cover so that no one had discovered him and hurt him while he was gone.

As soon as the three of them were outside, the boy ran over to them from his hiding place in the hedges. The girl grabbed on to her brother and held him tight. “Geras! I thought you dead!”

The boy answered with a scream.

His heart hammering at the alert, Urian turned to see what had him alarmed.